Apparatus for allaying dust in connection with rock-drilling machinery.



NITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT GEETCE.

APPARATUS FOR ALLAYING DUST IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK-DRILLING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,752, dated July 18, 1905. Application filed May 23, 1904:. Serial No. 209,425?.

T all wil/0m it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM CHARLES STEPHENS, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing'at Endsleigh, Camborne, in the county of Cornwall, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Allaying Dust in Connection with Rock- Drilling Machinery, of' which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for allaying the dust created when drilling dry holes by percussive rock-drilling machinery, the object of my invention being to provide a simpler form of apparatus than has heretofore been used for the purpose.

The apparatus constructed according to my invention comprises a spraying device attached to the air-tap of a rock-drill and provided with an adjustable nozzle for regulating the quantity of water sprayed, a water-supply in connection with the said nozzle, and

, means for causing the ejection of the water source of water, such as a bucket or otherI open vessel, which may be arranged below the level of the nozzle, or it may be arranged above the level of the nozzle, for instance, by suspending such bucket from the tunnel-bar of the drill, so that the tendency of the water will be to run into the sprayer by gravity, and so effect a saving by the use of a smaller quantity of air than would otherwise .be required if the water had to be raised from a lower level.

I sometimes employ in connection with the air-pipe a two-way cock or the like so arranged that when the handle is turned in one direction the supply of air to the drill and to the ejector nozzle will take place Simultaneously and when turned in another direction air will only be admitted to the drill and not to the ejector-nozzle.

To enable my invention to be fully understood, I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in whichvFigure 1 is a side elevation of a percussive rock-drill provided with the improved dustallaying apparatus. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof.

Fig. 3 is a sectional side View of the improved I apparatus detached from the drill. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan of the same. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan illustrating 'a slight modification.

a is the rock-drill, and b is the air-supply tap of the said drill.

c is the nozzle of the Spraying device, the said nozzle being carried by a fitting d, which is connected to the fitting or body e of the tap b. The said connection is advantageously in the form of a ball-and-Socket joint f, as shown clearly in Fig. 3, so that the direction of the nozzle c, and consequently that of the issuing spray, can be varied to a limited degree. In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1

to 5 the socket of the jointf is screwed into the fitting e, the passage z' being of a somewhat tortuous shape. In Fig. 6, however, the said socket is formed in one with the said fitting and the passage l extends in astraight line from the socket to the port, with which it communicates with the plug of the tap. Within the fitting d iS a nozzle g adjacent to the inner end of the nozzle c and forming the termination of an air-passage la, which is a continuation of an air-passage c' in the fitting e, the said latter' passage terminating in a port j, designed to coincide with a port c, opening into the air-port Z in the plug b of the tap through which air-port the air passes to work the drill.

m is a chamber within the fitting CZ and into which the nozzle g opens.

n is the suction hose or pipe for the water for the spraying device, the said hose being connected to a pipe 0, opening intoth'e charn-- ber m, and advantageously provided at its IOO lo'wer end with a strainer nf, which is placed within a suitable water receptacle, or the strainer may be dispensed with.

The nozzle g is advantag'eously coned eX- ternally, and the adjacent end of the sprayingnozzle c is coned internally, as at e0, to correspond, the said latter nozzle being rendered adjustable relatively with the former nozzle, for instance, by a screw-thread p, as shown, and provided with means for holding it in the adjusted position, suitable means comprising a blade-spring c bearing upon one of a series of facets o2 on the nozzle c.

By the described construction it will be seen that if compressed air be allowed to flow through the nozzle g it will induce a iiow of water through the hose n into the chamber m of the fitting d and drive it in the form of spray out of the nozzle c in the direction of the point of the bit ol" the drill, the position' of the nozzle c relatively with the nozzle g being regulated byrotating the nozzle c according to the quantity of spray required in a given time. By turning the plug b ot` the tap b into the position shown in Fig. 5 it will be seen. that the compressed air will be supplied both to work the drill and also produce the spray Jfrom the nozzle c. By turning the said plug to a position diametrically opposite to that shown-that is to say, so that the handle b2 of the ta'p is in the position indicated by the dotted line l, Fig. Q--the supply of air to the spraying device will be cut olf, but that to the drill will be maintained, while by moving the handle b2 to the midway position (indicated by the dotted line 2 in the said figure) the air-supply to the drill will be cut ott, but that to the spraying device maintained. By moving the handle to a point midway between the position in which it is shown and the position indicated by the dotted line Q the supply of'air both to the drill and to the spraying device will be cut olf.

By forming the joint between the {ittings Z and e flexible, as hereinbefore described, the issuing spray can be directed to any points near the operating-bit of the drill, as desired. rIhe said joint also allows the hose n to be turned upward, so that it can be supplied with water above the level otl the nozzle'c', for instance, by a bucket suspended from the tunnel-bar of the drill, so that the water will gravitate to the spraying device, and thus et'- fect a saving of air for spraying the water as compared with that required when the water has to be raised from a point below the level of the said nozzle.

My device is an improvement upon those at present in use inasmuch as I employ one hose-pipe only to convey the air to the rockdrill, as well as to the spraying-nozzle, and one hose or other pipe to be employed as a section-pipe instead of three hose-pipes, as in some of the existing devices. My apparatus is also simpler in design than any existing device inasmuch as my ejector spraying-nozzle forms part ot' the drill and is not a separate apparatus. Furthermore, my apparatus being part of the drill and attached to the aircock is at all times iiXed in proper alinement toproject the water in the direction of the hole to be drilled.

Having now particularly described and asf certained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to beperformed, I declare that what I claim isl. In a device of the class described, the combination with a spraying device, ot' an airsupply tap of a rock-drill, said tap-being provided with an admission-port for compressed air and independent passages to the rock-drill and spraying device and a plug in said tap constructed to admit a supply of compressed air to either or both of said passages whereby said rock-drill and said spraying device may be operated separately or together, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a device of the class described, thev combination with an air-supply tap of a rockdrill, of a spraying device directly connected to and supportedfby said tap, said tap being provided with an admission-port for compressed air and independent passages to said rocl -drill and spraying device and a plug in said tap constructed to admit a supply of compressed air to either or both of said passages whereby said rock-drill and said spraying device may be operated separately or together, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a device otl the class described, the combination with an air-supply tap of a rockdrill, of a spraying device directly connected by a ball-and-socket joint to said tap whereby the direction of the spray may be varied, said tap being provided with an admission-port for compressed air and independent passages to the rock-drill and spraying device and a plug in said tap constructed to admit a supply of compressed air to either or both of said passages whereby said rock drill and said spraying device may be operated separately or together, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with an air-supply tap of a rockdrill, or' a spraying device provided with an adjustable nozzle adapted to. be rotated to regulate the quantity of spray, a blade-.spring secured to said spraying device and constructed to bear upon a face of said nozzle to prevent the same from'turning, saidspraying device being directly connected by a ball-and- IOO IOS

IIO

socket joint to said tap whereby the direction of the spray may be Varied,'said tap being provided with an admission-port for cornpressed air and independent passages to the rock-drill and spraying device and a plug in said tap lconstructed to admit a supply oi' connpressed air to either or both of said passages whereby said rock-drill and said spraying de- Vice may be operated separately or together,

substantially as and for the purpose described. IO

WILLIAM CHARLES STEPHENS.'

Witnesses:

ALFD. FALTERS, J osIAH JAMES, Jr. 

